Cushion filling machine



April 17, 1934. L. CQFFMAN 1,955,533

CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. fiffif A, (OFF/WW BY XWXM ATTORNEYS.

April 17, 1934. B) CQFFMAN 1,955,533

CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PI.1I]

INVENTOR. 3 1a 5 I 567 4, (off/mm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 17, 1934 srass 'FFlQE Application January 39,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a cushion filling machine. The pr ncipal object of the invention is to produce a simple, self-contained and inexpensive piece of apparatus by means of which the spring assembly and other filling material of a cushion may be rapidly inserted in the cushion casing with the mi: "mum amount of manual labor, the machine being so built that it is adapted for use with a large range of cushion sizes.

The machine embodying the invention includes a rectangular, extensible receiving box preferably formed or" sheet metal and having one open end and a hinged cover. The spring assembly and other filling material are placed in the reset ing box and the hinged cover is closed and locked in closed position. The sides of the box are then moved inwardly to compress the filling material slightly and the cover of the cushion is placed over the box in such manner as to cover the open end. The box is then extended to stretch the cover to a desired tension. A reciprocabie ram is then advanced within the box to force the fillmg material through the open thereof into the cover and to force the cover e box. The ram is then retracted and the cover of the box is automatically opened ready for the reception of the filling material or" the next cushion. The extensible feature of the permits the use of the machine on various oi cushions. The principal features of the invention reside in the combination and arrarements of parts by which the above described operations are carried out.

feature of the invention resides in the particular means used for locln'ng the hinged cover of the box in closed position during the cushion fill operation and for automatically releasing th same after the completion of said operation.

- Another feature or" the invention resides in the specific means for automatically opening the hinged cover of the box after the filling operation.

Other features of the invention will be understood. from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the complete machine with parts broken away to show other parts in detail. Figure 2 is a plan View 56 the same with parts similarly broken away. Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the end of the machine at the left in Figures 1 and 2 with the hinged covers of the box in the open position. Figure 4 is a complete end view of the opposite end of the machine with parts broken Cil 1932, Serial No. 589,823

away. Figure 5 is a plan view of certain belt shifting apparatus used in the control of the machine. Figure 6 is an elevational View of an electrical switch and mechanism for operating the same used for starting and stopping a motor which supplies power for the operation of the machine. Figure 7 is a sectional view of the ram taken substantially on the line 77 of Figure 3. Figure 8 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism used for locking the box in its closed position. Figure 9 is an elevational View of the mechanism shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a detail view of the hinge construction of the receiving box.

The frame of the machine consists of a pair or" A-frames 15 and 16 at opposite ends of the machine, a horizontal bar 17 supported adjacent the upper ends of said A-frames and a pair of horizontal rods 18 similarly supported adjacent their lower ends.

The A-irame 16 supports a pair of slidable members 19 and 20, the said members being movable toward and away from each other by means of a right and left hand screw shaft 21 threadedly engaged with lugs 22 on said members and having a hand wheel 23 thereon. The screw shaft 21 carries collars 24 upon opposite sides of a bearing 25 carried by the A-frame 16. The said collars and bearing serve to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft during the movement of the members 19 and 20. A plate 26 is fixedly carried upon a central upraised portion 27 of the A-frame 16 and extends to either side of the said portion. The slidable members 19 and 20 carry plates 28 and 29 respectively, a portion of each or" said plates projecting beneath the plate 26. The plates 26, 28 and 29 form together an extensible bottom for the box hereinbefore mentioned. The slidably mounted members 19 and 20 also carry vertical plates 30 and 31 respectively forming the side walls of the box. Cover plates 32 and 33 are hinged to the tops of plates 30 and 31 respectively. The said cover plates overlap when closed, as best shown in Figure 4 and thus serve as an extensible cover for the box. It will be seen that the width of the box may be varied between wide limits by moving the slidable members 19 and 20 toward and away from each other, thus moving the plates 28 and 29 beneath the plate 26 and moving the plate 33 beneath the plate 32 if 1 the covers are closed. It will also be seen that the bottom plate 26 is well supported at its midpoint and its edges are also supported upon the plates 28 and 29 which rest directly upon the slidably mounted members 19 and 20 so that there 110 is ample strength to withstand the pressure upon the bottom plates when the filling material is compressed by the closing of the cover plates.

Within the box there is located a ram 34 consisting of a central plate 35 with two end plates 36 embracing the ends of the plate 35 and slidable thereon, as best illustrated in Figure 7. Each of the plates 35 carries a pointed pin 37 each of which is engageable with one of a pair of eyebolts 38 carried upon brackets 39 on the slidable members 19 and 20. In the retracted position of the ram 34, the pins 37 engage the eye-bolts 38. In this position, the movement of the slidable members 19 and 20 to change the width of the box is imparted, through the said engagement, to the end plates 36 of the ram and the said plates are moved to extend or contract the ram to substantially fill the cross-section of the box independently of its adjusted size. All adjustments of the size of the box are made with the ram in retracted position. As the ram is moved to force the filling material from the box, the extended position of the plates 36 is maintained by means of leaf springs 40 which are fastened to the plate 35 and inserted between the said plate and the plates 36 to maintain a frictional engagement between the plates.

With the ram in retracted position, a pin 78, carried upon a horizontal rod 41 attached to the ram, is engaged between the upwardly extending arms of a slotted block 79 carried upon the A-frame 16 and serves to center and steady the ram and to prevent extension of one plate 36 more than the other.

The ram 34 is mounted upon the end of the horizontal rod 41 in turn supported upon a member 42 slidably mounted upon the bar 17. The member 42 has a downwardly extending portion 43 which engages a screw shaft 44 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings upon the A-frames 15 and 16. The said shaft carries a fixed pulley 45 having a freely running pulley 46 on one side and a freely running pulley 4'? on the other side thereof. When the machine is in inoperative position, a cross belt 48 is trained about the pulley 47 and. about a pulley 49 carried by a motor 50 while a straight belt 51 is trained about the pulley 46 and about the pulley 49. The motor 50 is supported upon a motor base 52 carried by the rods 18. By this construction, if the cross belt 48 is shifted to the fixed pulley 45, the worm shaft 44 is rotated in the proper direction to advance the slidable member 42 and the ram 34 to the left in Figures 1 and 2. When the cross belt is removed from the fixed pulley 45 and the straight belt 51 is shifted to the said fixed pulley, the screw shaft 44 is rotated to retract the slidable member 42 and the ram 34.

The apparatus for locking the hinged covers 32 of the box in closed position and for automatically releasing the same includes an arm 53 carried upon a vertical stem 54 rockably and slidably mounted in bearing lugs 55 and 56 carried by the slidable member 19. The said arm carries a roller 57 and a handle 58, the said roller engaging the upper surface of the cover plate 32 when the arm 53 is swung to the position shown in Figures 2 and 4. When in this position, the arm serves to maintain the cover plates 32 and 33 in closed position so that the cover of the cushion may be placed over the box. The stem 54 is surrounded by a torsion spring 59, the lower end of which abuts against a lug 60 carried upon a washer 61 which is held in any desired adjusted position upon the bearing lug 55 by means of a cotter pin 62. The upper end of the spring 56 is fastened to a pin 63 extending through the stem 54. The said spring, therefore, serves to urge the stem 54 and the arm 53 in a counter-clockwise direction, referring to Figure 8.

A latch trigger 64 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 65 and is adapted to abut against the projecting end of the pin 63 to hold the stem 54 and the arm 53 against the action of the spring 59 with the arm 53 in position over the cover plates of the box. The pin 65 is retained in lugs 66 formed upon the casting 19. The trigger 64 has attached to one arm thereof a tension spring 67, the opposite end of which is attached to a hookshaped stud 68 carried upon the casting 19. The said spring serves to urge the trigger in the clockwise direction, referring to Figure 8. A horizontal stem 69 is pivotally connected to another arm of the trigger 64 and rests upon the stud 68. The stem 69 carries a block 70 engageable with a pin '71 carried upon a lever 72 pivotally mounted by means of a pin '73 on the casting 19. The lever '72 has a horizontal portion '74 extending into the path of the ram 34 and carrying an adjusting screw 75 engageable with said ram near the limit of its retractive movement. The lever '72 is normally urged in a counterclockwise direction by a tension spring 76 fastened at one end to the said lever and at the opposite end to a pin 77 carried upon the slidable member 19.

In the operation of this portion of the apparatus, the ram 34 strikes the adjusting screw '75 near the end of the retraction stroke of the ram. The lever 72 is moved thereby to press the pin 71 against the block '70, to move the rod 69 for pulling the trigger 64 away from the pin 63. This leaves the spring 59 free to pull the arm 53 from its position over the box. In the movement of the lever '72 the pin 71 passes beyond the corner of the block 70 and slips beneath the said block.

The spring 6'7 then pulls the trigger back into position against the stem 54. When the fillinmaterial of the next cushion has been placed in the box and the cover of the box has been closed by hand, the arm 53 is manually swung over the box to the locking position, at which position the pin 63 slips past the trigger 64 and is retained thereby until the ram has again been advanced and retracted. In the advance stroke of the rain the pin 71 lifts the block '70 until it reaches the edge of said block and slips into the position shown in Figure 9.

It will be seen in Figure 4 that the bearing lug 56 is formed with an inclined upper surface and that the lower surface of the hub of arm 53 above the box by the spring 59, the hub of the said arm climbs the inclined surface of the bearing 56 and in so doing compresses the spring 51.

The said spring, therefore acts as a cushion to retard the movement of the arm 53 and to insure a cushion stop when it reaches its outermost j position. Excessively rapid movement of the said arm is, therefore, prevented with consequent freedom from the danger of injury to the operator.

The cover plates 32 and 33 have attached there- 1.

to arms 82 which are bent to extend outwardly beyond the axes of the hinges of the said cover plates. Each of said arms has attached thereto, adjacent the mid-point of the outwardly extending portion, a tension spring 83. The opposite ends of the springs are fastened to the lower ends of hook-shaped bars 84 and said bars are fastened by means of set screws to lugs 85, on of which is formed upon the slidable member 19 and the other upon the slidable member 20. In the closof the box the springs 83 are extended. When the arm 53 is moved from its position over the box, the said springs pull the arms 82 downwardly to move the cover plates 32 and 33 to the position shown in Figure 3. In this position the outer end of each of the arms 82 strikes its corresponding spring 83 and serves as a cushion stop for the movement of the cover plates. It will also be seen from Figure 3 that the relative positions of the ends of the springs 83 are such that the cover plates stand open in a position beyond the vertical. The said plates, therefore, serve as convenient guides in the insertion of the cushion filling into the box. It will also be seen that the particular form of hook-rod 84 is such that the position and tension of springs 83 may be easily adjusted. To increase the tension, it is only necessary to adjust the hook-rods downwardly in their bearing lugs. To change the angular position of the springs and cover plates in their open position, it is only necessary to rotate the rods 84 in their bearing lugs.

For initiating the operation of the machine, there is provided foot treadle 86 hinged to the A-frame 16. The said treadle has attached thereto an arm 87 to which there is attached a tension spring 88 which normally moves the treadle upwardly. A chain or cord 89 is also fastened to the arm 8'? and has its opposite end fastened to a lever 90 pivotally mounted upon a bracket 91 carried upon the A-frame 16. The said bracket also carries an electric switch 92 of a common form having a tongue 93 for the operation thereof. The lever 90 carries a pin 94 engageable with the tongue 93 for operation of the switch when th foot treadle 86 is downwardly pressed. The said switch is electrically connected to the motor 50 and is arranged to start the motor when its tongue is moved by the operation of the treadle.

The upper end of the lever 90 has attached thereto a link 95, the opposite end of which is attached to a shifting collar 96 carried upon a rectangular horizontal stem 97 mounted upon the bracket 91. The shifting collar 96 carries a shifting arm 98 in the form of an eye through which the cross belt 43 trained. By this means, the movement of the treadle 86 serves to shift the cross belt 48 onto the fixed pulley to start the movement of the ram in the advancing direction as soon as the motor has been started.

A shifting rod 99 is mounted upon a bracket 100 carried upon the A-frame 15 and upon the bracket 91. The said rod carries a collar 101 engageablc by an arm 102 carried by the sliding member 12 near the end of the advance stroke of the ram. The rod 99 also carries a collar 103 engageable with a pin 194 carried upon a lever 195. The lever 105 is pivctally mounted upon a bracket 106 carried by a horizontal bar 107 in turn carried upon the bracket 91. The said lever carries at its upper end a weight 198. The engagement of the collar 193 with the pin 104 swings the lever 195 to the left, referring to Figure 1. In this movement of the lever 105, a pin 109 carried thereon engages a lug 110 formed upon the sliding collar 96 and moves the said collar to shift the cross belt from the fixed pulley 45 to the freely rimning pulley 47, thus stopping the advance stroke of the ram. As the lever 105 passes the vertical position, the shifting of the cross belt is substantially complete. The weight 108, however, is sufficiently heavy to cause the lever 105 to continue its movement to the left in Figure 1. In this continued movement, a pin 111 carried upon a horizontal stein 112 in turn fastened to the lever 105 engages 2. lug 113 upon a shifting collar 11s carried upon the bar 9'7. The collar 114 carries a belt shifter 115 terminating in an eye through which the straight belt 51 is trained. The movement of the shifting collar just described, therefore, shifts the straight belt 51 on to the fixed pulley to initiate the retraction stroke of the ram.

Near the end of the retraction stroke, the arm 102 strikes a collar 116 on the shifting rod 99 and moves the said rod to the right in Figure 2. In this movement of the rod 99, a collar 117 thereon strikes the pin 104 and moves the lever 105 to the right in Figure 1. The collar 11? is slidabie on the rod 99 but abuts against a compression spring 118 in turn abutting against a fixed collar 119 upon the rod 99. The spring 118, therefore, gives a cushioning effect to the collar 117 in striking the pin 104. In the return movement of the lever 105, the pin 109 strikes a lug 120 upon the shifting collar 114; and moves the collar to shift the belt 51 from the fixed pulley 45 to the free pulley 46 to stop the retraction of the ram.

The lower end of the lever 105 has fastened thereto a link 121 which terminates in a yoke 122 surrounding the tongue 93 of the switch 92. One side of the said yoke is cut away as shown at 123 in Figure 6 and a pin 124 carried upon said tongue is engageable in said cutaway portion. The rearward end of the yoke 122 is inclined as shown at 125 in Figure 6 and is in position to be engaged by the pin 94 when the lever 90 is moved to stop the operation of the motor. The degree of slope of the inclined portion is such that the engagement of the pin 94 therewith does not exert sufiicient force to more the lever 105 but does exert an upward force which lifts the link 121 to free the pin 124 from the cutaway portion 123. In the continued movement of the lever 99 the yoke 122 rides upon the pin 94 and the pin 124 moves beneath the said yoke. When the l ver 105 is moved at the end of the advancing stroke of the ram, the link 121 is drawn to the right, referring to Figures 1 and 6, and the cutaway portion 123 again engages the pin 12 1. When the lever 105 is moved at the end of the retraction stroke of the ram, the link 121 is moved to the l in Figure 6 and the engagement of the pin 124 in the cutaway portion 123 serves to move the tongue of the switch to the left. The switch is thus snapped to open circuit position to stop the motor.

In Figure 10 is shown a detail of construction of the receiving box. The side wall 31 of the box is preferably made of two plates 31a and 31b riveted or otherwise fastened together while the cover plate 33 is similarly made of two sheets 33a and 33b. Portions of th outer plates 81a and 33a are looped about a hinge pin 125 to form a hinge for the cover plate. The inner plates 31b and 33b terminate close to the hinge. By this construction the portion of the outer plates looped about the hinge pin does not project into the interior of the box an appreciable distance. The hinge construction, therefore, offers the minimum amount 1 of resistance to the movement of the cushion filling material within the box.

The support for the motor includes a motor base 52 to which the motor 50 is bolted and which is rockably mounted on the frame rod 18 at the right of Figure 4. The opposite end 126 of the motor base 52 is forked as shown in Figure 2 and has the arcuate shape shown in Figure 4. A stud 127 carrying lock nuts 128 passes through the fork in the end 126 and is supported upon a collar 129 rockably mounted upon the frame rod 18 at the left in Figure 4. The lock nuts 128, when tightened against the end 126 of the motor base, secure the same in a fixed position. When the said nuts are loosened, the collar 129 may be rocked about its supporting rod 18 to raise or lower the motor base for adjusting the tension of the belts 48 and 51. It will be seen that in order to maintain the motor base in a fixed position, it is necessary that both look nuts 128 be tightened against the base. If one or the other is not tightened, the stud 12? soon slips from the fork and the tension of the belts pulls the motor upwardly and stops the operation of the machine.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the invention provides a simple self-contained piece of apparatus for the purpose intended and that many of the specific features of the machine contribute to the successful and rapid operation thereof. However, many of the details may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a cushion filling machne, the combine.- tion of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box including a hinged cover, an arm fastened to said cover and having a portion extending upon the side of said hinge opposite to said cover, and a tension spring attached to said portion and normally acting to open said cover, said spring being so positioned that said cover is moved beyond a vertical position when opened and a portion of said arm strikes said spring to provide a cushioned stop for the opening of said cover.

2. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, mechanism for locking said lid in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a reciprocable ram movable within the box to force the filling material through the open end thereof into the cushion cover, and mechanism operable by said ram to unlock said lid when the filling material has been discharged from the box.

3. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and hav ing a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, mechanism for locking said lid in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a reciprocable ram movable within the box to force the filling material through the open end thereof into the cushion cover, mechanism for reciprocating said ram, and means automatically operable in timed relation with the movement of said ram to unlock said lid when the filling material has been discharged from the box.

4. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, mechanism for locking said lid in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a reciprocable ram movable within the box to force the filling material through the open end thereof into the cushion cover, mechanism for reciprocating said ram, means automatically operable in timed relation with the movement of said ram to unlock said lid when the filling material has been discharged from the box, and mechanism automatically operable when said lid is unlocked to open the same for the reception of the filling material of a second cushion.

5. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, an arm pivotally mounted upon a substantially vertical axis at one side of the box and movable over said lid to hold the same in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over a portion of the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a latch for holding said arm in position over said lid, 2. reciprocable ram movable within the box to force the filling material through the open end thereof into the cushion cover, mechanism for reciprocating said ram, and means automatically operable in timed relation with the movement of said ram to trip said latch to permit movement of said arm from over said lid.

6. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, an arm pivotally mounted upon a substantially vertical axis at one side of the box and movable over said lid to hold the same in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over a portion of the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a latch for holding said arm in position over said lid, a reciprocable ram movable within the box to force the filling material through the open end thereof into the cushion cover, mechanism for reciprocating said ram, means automatically operable in timed relation with the movement of said ram to trip said latch to permit movement of arm from over said lid, and spring means for so moving said arm when the latch is tripped.

"I. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, an arm pivotally mounted upon a substantially vertical axis at one side of the box and movable over said lid to hold the same in closed position after the insertion of said material to permit a cushion cover to be placed over a portion of the box with a closed end of said cover over the open end of the box, a latch for holding said arm in position over said lid, means for tripping said latch to permit movement of said arm from over said lid, spring means for so moving said arm when the latch is tripped,

and spring cushioning means for retarding the speed of movement of said arm during its movement from over said lid.

8. In a cushion filling machine, the combination of a box for receiving the filling material of a cushion, said box having an open end and having a hinged lid by means of which said material may be inserted, a vertical stern mounted adjacent one side of said box, said stem being rockable about a vertical axis and slidable longitudinally of said an arm secured to the upper end of said stem and movable over said lid to hold the same in closed position, a bearing for said stem having an inclined upper surface, a member mounted on said stem having an inclin'ed. surface mating with said first mentioned surface, a spring for maintaining said surfaces in engagement, and means for rocking said stem to move said arm from over said lid, said inclined surfaces being so shaped that said stem is longitudinally moved in said movement against the action of said spring to retard said movement.

9. In a cushion filling machine, a reception box for receiving the filling material of the cushion, said box having a side wall and a cover hinged thereto, said side wall and cover being constructed of a plurality of sheets of material, the edges or" the outermost of said sheets in the side wall and cover being inturned to form a hinge and the innermost of said sheets terminating close to said hinge for the purpose described.

BERT L. COFFMAN. 

